The invention relates in general to mops. More particularly, the invention pertains to mops having a shaft, a mop element, and an operating member that supports a portion of the mop element and that is movable with respect to the shaft.
Conventional mops include an elongate shaft having a mop element at one end of the shaft and an operator gripping portion at the other end of the shaft. In some commercially available mops, the mop element may be twisted around the shaft to thereby wring from the mop element the liquid which has been absorbed during use of the mop. Such mops are known in the art as xe2x80x9ctwist mops.xe2x80x9d
One problem associated with prior art twist mops is that a considerable amount of strength is required to hold the mop parts in a wringing position and to apply the force necessary to expel the absorbed liquid from the mop element. This is particularly true when the mop element must be twisted through a large overall angle of rotation. The prior art has addressed this problem by utilizing a mop element having relatively short liquid-absorbing ropes in an effort to reduce the overall angle of rotation. However, the use of such relatively short strands results in the mop element having a relatively small surface area. This is undesirable, inasmuch as the area of contact between the mop element and the surface to be mopped is thereby reduced.
It is a general object of the invention to provide a mop that overcomes the shortfalls inherent in prior art mops. Another object of the invention is to provide a twist mop having an operating member that may be advanced for wringing in small angular increments.
The invention provides a mop having an elongate shaft, a mop element, and an operating member that is axially movable along a portion of the shaft over a range of travel between and a latch position and a range of mopping positions. One portion of the mop element is retained in a fixed position at one end of the shaft, and another portion of the mop element is retained at one end of the operating member. In accordance with the invention, the mop includes a latch mechanism for axially retaining the operating member in the latch position. The latch mechanism includes a detent portion and a shoulder portion, one of which portions is fixedly mounted to the shaft and the other of which is mounted on the operating member. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the detent portion of the latch mechanism comprises a pair of opposing jaws, which are fixed with respect to the shaft. In this embodiment, the shoulder portion is mounted at one end of the operating member. The operating member is retained in the latch position when the shoulder and detent are in an operative relationship.
Preferably, the operating member is relatively rotatable with respect to the shaft. The portion of the mop element that is retained at the operating member will be carried with the operating member, and thus will rotate with respect to the shaft when the operating member is rotated. Thus, upon twisting of the operating member, the mop element will twist with respect to the shaft, and wringing of the mop element will be effected thereby. Most preferably, the mop includes a ratchet device to releasably restrict relative rotation of the shaft and operating member to one direction of rotation. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a ratchet wheel is disposed at the shoulder of the operating member and the detent has two jaws. At least one of the jaws of the detent portion includes a multitoothed pawl for engaging a portion of the ratchet wheel to thereby permit only unidirectional rotation of the operating member relative to the mop shaft. In this embodiment, advancement of the operating member in limited angular increments relative to the shaft is thereby permitted.
In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, a mop element assembly including the mop element and one or more button operable connectors is provided. For example, one end of the mop element may be supported by a button operable shaft connector that is releasably connectable to and supported by the shaft. Another end of the mop element may be supported by a button operable operating member connector that is releasably connectable to and supported by the operating member. When it is desired to clean or replace the mop element, the button operable connectors may be quickly released to thereby allow disassembly of the mop element from the shaft and from the operating member. The button operable connectors also allow the mop to be quickly reassembled after cleaning or replacement of the mop element assembly. A mop, a mop element assembly each being new and unobvious and methods of forming and operating mop apparatus, fall within the scope of the present specification.